Loading Device for a Washing Machine

ABSTRACT

A front loading washing machine having a front loading door  14  for the washing drum is provided with a loading device  21  for attachment to the front  15  of a front loading washing machine adjacent the door  14 , the loading device  21  comprising a readily deformable textile chute  22  mounted on a collapsible frame  23 , the frame being attached to the machine by brackets  24,25  secured on the front  15  of the washing machine both sides of said door  14  and the frame  23  being opened to a raised open condition to form a taut chute  22  for directing laundry into a drum and being collapsed to permit closure of the door  14.

FIELD

This invention relates to washing machines of the type used in commercial laundries for cleaning batches of laundry.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In commercial laundries, batches of washing are typically delivered to the washing machines by means of an overhead rail laundry transfer system having a railed storage area in which the soiled articles to be washed are sorted into select batches. The batches of dirty laundry are typically loaded into respective containers, typically bags, suspended from the overhead rails and held in a storage area. The bags are then moved from the storage area and around the laundry to a washing machine and the dirty washing loaded into the washing drum of the machine. The washing machines are generally front loaders and laundry may be discharged into a cart and then loaded into the machine manually. Alternatively, the suspended container may be maneuvered so that it can be discharged directly into the door of the machine. This is not always successful and the operator may need to retrieve items from the floor and/or may need to manually distribute the dirty laundry in the machine.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a loading device to assist in the loading of laundry into a front loading commercial washing machines.

STATEMENT OF INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the present Invention, there is provided a loading device for attachment to the front of a front loading washing machine adjacent the door of the washing drum, the loading device comprising a readily deformable textile chute mounted on a collapsible frame, the frame being attached to the machine by brackets secured on the front of the washing machine on both sides of said door and the frame being opened to a raised open condition to form a taut chute for directing laundry into the drum and being collapsed to permit closure of the door.

Preferably the frame comprises a first frame part which is use is stationary relative to the washing machine front and a second frame part which is pivotable relative to the first frame part between said collapsed and raised open positions.

The second frame part is held in the open position to hold the chute in taut condition by a locking means, preferably the locking means is in the form of a strut connected at one end to the second frame part and at the other end to a location means on the front of the washing machine.

The strut may be pivotally connected to the second frame part. The location means may comprise an elongate rail, said other end of the strut being moveable to different locations along the rail such that in one location the frame is collapsed and in another location the frame is held in an open raised condition with the chute held taut. Said other end of the strut may be pivotally connected to a slider which is moveable along a groove formed in the elongate rail.

The strut may comprise two parts, one part pivotally connected to the second frame part and the other part being pivotally connected to a plate mounted on the front of the washing machine, the two parts of the strut being pivotally interconnected, preferably by an over-centre locking device.

Where the door of the washing machine is circular, the first frame part is preferably arcuate and extends around the lower outer periphery of the door and is held stationary by the brackets, the second frame part being arcuate with a larger diameter arc than said first frame part and being pivotally mounted on said brackets.

The chute is preferably formed of a suitable textile material such as canvas or a woven nylon and is formed with loops in the edge margins, the two frame parts being insertable into respective loops. The loops may be provided with fasteners such as zip fasteners or hook and loop fasteners such as Velcro to allow the loops to be opened for insertion of the respective frame parts and then closed around the parts.

The end portions of the chute adjacent the brackets may be relieved to accommodate the movement of the frame.

According to a second aspect of the present Invention, there is provided a front loading washing machine having a front loading door for the washing drum provided with a loading device adjacent the door and in accordance with a first aspect of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be described by way of Example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a loading device according to the present invention mounted on the front plate of a washing machine,

FIG. 2 Is a front elevation of the collapsible frame of FIG. 1 in a collapsed condition,

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the loading device in a raised condition,

FIG. 4 is a side elevation showing the loading device in use receiving a container of laundry for discharge into the washing machine,

FIG. 5 an Isometric view of the collapsible frame of the loading device, and

FIG. 6 is a front elevation of a loading device similar to FIG. 1 showing an alternative form of support strut.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to FIGS. 1 to 5, there is shown the face plate 11 of a washing machine of the type used in a commercial laundry. The face plate is mounted on the front casing of the washing machine by any suitable means, for example by bolts 12 and is provided with a circular port 13 for loading dirty washing into a wash drum. The circular port 13 is then closed by a co-operating door 14 also mounted on the face plate (see FIG. 4) 11.

A loading device 21 according to the present invention is mounted on the front surface 15 of the face plate adjacent the port 13. The loading device 21 comprising a readily deformable textile chute 22 mounted on a collapsible frame 23 which is attached to front surface 15 the by a pair of brackets 24,25. The two brackets 24,25 are secured on the front surface 15 one on each side of said port 13. The frame 23 comprises two relatively moveable parts, an inner part 26 and an outer part 27 with the deformable chute 22 secured to the two parts 26 & 27. The first part 26 of the frame 23 is arcuate and extends around the lower outer periphery of the port 13 and is held stationary by the brackets 24,25, the second part is also arcuate with a larger diameter than said first bar and being pivotally mounted on said brackets. The second part 27 of the frame 23 is pivotable relative to the first part 26 between a collapsed condition as shown in FIG. 2 and a raised open condition or position as shown in FIGS. 1,2, &3 with the chute 22 taut between the two parts.

The second part 27 is held in the open position by a locking means 28 so as to hold the chute in a taut condition. The locking means 28 is preferably in the form of a strut 29 connected at one end by a pivot 31 to the second part 27 of the frame 23 and at the other end connected by a pivot 32 to a location means 33 on the front surface 15 of the washing machine. The location means 33 comprises an elongate rail 34 secured to the front surface 15 by a mounting plate 35 which is bolted to the front face 15 of the washing machine. The rail 34 is provided with a longitudinally extending groove 36 with said other end of the strut 29 being connected via pivot 32 to a slider 37 moveable along the groove to different locations along the rail 34. The slider 37 may be locked at different locations along the groove 36 by any suitable means such that that in one location the frame 23 is collapsed and in another location the frame 23 is held in an open condition with the chute 22 held taut. The slider 37 may pass along the groove to such that it passes through a position of maximum tautness in the material before being located at limit stop 44. This is to prevent inadvertent collapse of the chute 22.

In an alternative arrangement (not shown) the strut 29 could be made collapsible and comprise for example two telescopic tubes which are lockable relative to each other to form a lengthened tube to hold the frame in a open condition and a shortened tube to permit the frame to take up a collapsed condition. Yet another arrangement is shown in FIG. 6 which shows the frame 23 in a collapsed condition. The strut 129 is formed from two parts, an upper part 131 pivotally connected to the second part 27 of the frame and a lower part 132 pivotally interconnected to a plate 135 on the front surface 15. The two parts 131,132 are interconnected by an over-centre locking device 134 so that the strut 129 holds the chute taut when in a locked condition.

The chute 22 is formed of a suitable textile material, for example canvas, a woven polyester based material for example a nylon, a woven cellulose based material such as viscose, and a woven acrylonitrile based material. The textile material is cut to shape such that it is held taut in an open frame 23. The margins of the material are formed with loops 38 in the outer edge margin and loop 39 on the inner edge margin. The loops 38,39 may be continuous loops forming tubes as shown or may be intermittent loops. The loops may be formed by looping the textile material back over itself and then sewing the overlapping portions together. The two parts 26,27 of the frame are insertable in the loops 38,39 prior to being assembled to the brackets 24,25. End portions 41 of the chute material adjacent the brackets 24,25 are relieved to accommodate the movement of the frame.

In an alternative arrangement, the overlapped portions of material forming the loops are provided with fasteners such as zip fasteners or hook and loop fasteners such as Velcro to allow the loops to be opened for insertion of the frame parts and then closed around the two parts.

With reference now to FIG. 5. there is shown a filled laundry bag 51 suspended from an over head rail system (not shown) and delivered to the open port 13 of a washing machine having a loading device 21 according to the present invention. The loading device 21 is locked in the raised condition with the chute 22 held taut. The bottom of the bag 51 is provided with a closable aperture 52 which is opened to discharge the laundry onto the chute 22. The laundry is thereby tumbled into the machine wash drum possibly with some slight manual assistance from an operator directing laundry into the drum.

After removal of the empty bag 51, the chute is collapsed to permit closure of the door 14 for operation of the machine. 

1. A loading device for attachment to the front of a front loading washing machine adjacent the door of the washing drum, the loading device comprising a readily deformable textile chute mounted on a collapsible frame, the frame being attached to the machine by brackets secured on the front of the washing machine both sides of said door and the frame being opened to a raised open condition to form a taut chute for directing laundry into the drum and being collapsed to permit closure of the door.
 2. A loading device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the frame comprises a first frame part which is use is stationary relative to the washing machine front and a second frame part which is pivotable relative to the first part between said collapsed and open positions.
 3. A loading device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the second frame part is held in the open position by a locking means so as to hold the chute in taut condition.
 4. A loading device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the locking means is a strut connected at one end to the second frame part and at the other end to a location means on the front of the washing machine.
 5. A loading device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the strut at said one end is pivotally connected to the second frame part.
 6. A loading device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the location means comprises an elongate rail, said other end of the strut being moveable to different locations along the rail such that in one location the frame is collapsed and in another location the frame is held in a raised open condition with the chute held taut.
 7. A loading device as claimed in claim 6, wherein said other end of the strut may be pivotally connected to a slider which is moveable along a groove formed within the elongate rail.
 8. A loading device as claimed in claim 5 wherein the strut comprise two parts one part pivotally connected to the second frame part and the other part being pivotally connected to a plate mounted on the front of the washing machine, the two parts being pivotally interconnected by an over-centre locking device.
 9. A loading device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the door of the washing machine is circular and the first part of the frame is arcuate and extends around the lower outer periphery of the door and is held stationary by the brackets, the second part of the frame also being arcuate with a larger diameter than said first part of the frame and being pivotally mounted on said brackets.
 10. A loading device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the chute is formed of a suitable textile material and is formed with loops in the edge margins thereof, the first and second parts of the frame being insertable into respective loops.
 11. A loading device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the loops are provided with fasteners such as zip fasteners or hook and loop fasteners such as Velcro to allow the loops to be opened for insertion of the respective first or second frame part and then closed around said part.
 12. A loading device as claimed in claim 11 wherein end portions of the chute adjacent the brackets are relieved to accommodate the movement of the frame.
 13. A front loading washing machine having a front loading door for the washing drum provided with a loading device adjacent the door and in accordance with claim
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